Bids for construction on the anticipated new pedestrian bridge in Gulf Shores officially closed on Dec. 22. Now what?

The new bridge is set to be built over the intracoastal at Waterway Village and will connect the north and south sides of the Waterway District through newly constructed pedestrian pathways spanning from the new Medical Village area to East 20th Avenue.

Bids for the project closed on Dec. 21 at 9 a.m. and were read aloud in a public session by the city in city hall chambers later that morning.

According to Clint Colvin, construction manager for the city, the submitted bids came in over budget, requiring the city to deliberate further before beginning the next phase of the project.

"We will have to evaluate our options and decide the path forward," Colvin said.

According to Colvin, more information surrounding the project bids should be released in the coming weeks.
Per the city's official website, construction on the bridge is projected to begin this winter and be completed in fall 2026.

About the project
As Gulf Shores began the Highway 59 widening project to add a third southbound lane across the W.C. Holmes Bridge, it became evident that pedestrian access would inevitably be impacted.

In July, former City Engineer Mark Acreman said the widening would begin from Fort Morgan Road to Target, from Target to County Road 6 and County Road 6 to County Road 8.

The project is projected to cost the city approximately $17 million. However, Acreman said that $6.5 million of the total cost is funded through the BUILD grant, while $4 million is funded through the ATRIP 2 grant, bringing the cost to the city to $6.5 million.

The new pedestrian bridge will include lanes wide enough for both pedestrians and bicyclists, and elevators on each side of the bridge that will be wide enough for bicycles and emergency personnel to travel with their equipment if necessary.

"The bridge will be 14 feet wide, so wide enough to accommodate both pedestrians and bicycles," Acreman said. "There will not be a marked bike lane, but bikers can be on the pedestrian lane."